Mark Smith was one of more than 20 people who came to see J.V. Huffman Jr.'s first appearance in Catawba County Superior Court on Monday.
After hearing Huffman's case would be continued to April 6, Smith said what many of Huffman's victims were feeling: "It's too slow of a process."
Huffman, 45, of Claremont, was indicted by a grand jury Dec. 8 on four felony counts of securities fraud and four felony counts of obtaining property by false pretense.
Authorities accused Huffman of lying to neighbors, family and friends for 17 years, telling them he bought and sold securities as he took millions of dollars from them to pay for his lavish lifestyle in a Ponzi scheme. According to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission documents, about 500 people invested $25 million with his company, Biltmore Financial Group Inc., beginning in 1991 and ending Nov. 7 with his arrest. Huffman is in jail under a $1 million secured bond.
Huffman's attorney, Peter Anderson, from the Charlotte law firm Anderson Terpening, requested the continuance after consulting with the district attorney's office.
Anderson said he needs time to go through numerous documents from several state and federal agencies. He said Monday he hopes to have reviewed all the documents by the end of March or the beginning of April.
Huffman was not in court.
Instead, after the hearing, the victims received a visit from District Attorney Jay Gaither, who talked with them about the case for nearly an hour.
Gaither reiterated to the victims that the receiver, who was appointed by a federal court to investigating Huffman's assets, is not in the district attorney's office.
"The receiver is not in my direct control, and I have no influence or control over what they're doing," Gaither said.
He also told the victims that the type of white-collar crime cases his office usually deals with are not this large in scope.
"The punishment is usually fairly negligible," Gaither said. "The size of the loss and the number of victims is much greater here."
Smith, who gave Huffman $250,000 on Aug. 5, 2008, and another $21,200 on Oct. 27, 2008, just 11 days before Huffman's arrest, said he's anxious to see the case come to trial.
"I put the last dime I could find anywhere to give him," Smith said, adding he sold his 1954 Mercury to give Huffman the second installation of money.
Now he, like several other investors, is having trouble finding money to buy medicine or pay the mortgage. Smith said he's considering selling another one of his prized street rods.
Several people at the hearing were attending one of Huffman's court proceedings for the first time.
One of them was Todd Smith, the pastor of Huffman's church, Mountain View Baptist Church in Hickory. Smith, who also invested with Huffman, said he came to court hoping to see his former parishioner, and to get an idea of how the case is progressing.
Although Smith didn't see Huffman, he said Gaither answered some of his questions.
"People need to know that they're hearing them," Smith said. "I'm confident that they're trying to do justice."
In addition to investing with Huffman, Smith's wife, Tameria, worked for Huffman a few hours a week.
Smith said they both believe she was just a cover for Huffman. Smith said they — and the entire community — are still trying to process what Huffman is accused of doing.
"I felt that if there was anyone that would protect and not harm me, it would be J.V. He seemed like a family member. We're all having to process it," Smith said. "Everyone in the community was affected by what he did — either directly, as an investor, or indirectly, by knowing someone who invested with him."
He said he plans to return April 6 to see how the next chapter unfolds.
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